sailor . mnsun . com Fall Football Preview • Thursday , August 29 , 2024 Page 23
RICHFIELD SPARTANS
First winning record since 2012 is within reach
by JASON OLSON jason . olson @ apgecm . com
Richfield football has taken different routes over the last four years , ending each regular season with the same result — a . 500 record . The last three years the team entered section play with 4-4 marks after going 3-3 in the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season .
Kris Pulford is entering his eighth season at the helm of the Spartans ( his 14th season coaching ), and the team is searching for its first winning record since 2012 .
Richfield ( 4-5 ) is coming off a first-round Section 4AAA exit at St . Croix Lutheran but finished second in the Skyway Red sub-district with a 4-1 record , one game behind champion Minneapolis Camden .
Minneapolis North won the Section 4AAA title with consecutive shutouts against Breck and Holy Family by a combined 92-0 before losing to Dassel-Cokato 14-7 in the Class AAA state quarterfinals .
During the off-season , Richfield once again scrimmaged Bloomington Jefferson but added a team camp to Southwest Minnesota State in late July .
“ It ’ s nice to compete against somebody [ else ] because it solidifies how much we need to get into the playbook and how much we need to compete during practice ,”
( SUN PHOTO BY JASON OLSON )
Richfield assistant coaches James Lane , left , and Warren Matthews speak with the team after a July scrimmage while head coach Kris Pulford , right , looks on .
Pulford said .
Before the session , Pulford asked for a show of hands of who believed they would make a mistake during the drills . Afterward , he asked again with a similar show of hands . “ I guess we predicted it so we have to work through those things , ask questions and remember that we are six days in . Some of those things are just feedback . ( I ’ m ) excited for them . The offense and defense looked great .”
With ties to Southwest Minnesota on the coaching staff and the timing of the camp at the end of the summer coaching period , the trip to Marshall might become a new tradition for future Spartan programs .
Pulford and the staff like
to install the playbook during the final two weeks of the summer sessions , which allows them to refine the plays at camp and during coaches ’ practice in August .
“ Nice to see that in action today as something to go on during camp and the kids did the best they could and that is all we ask of them ,” he said . “ To see our guys compete and be excited for one another , that ’ s a reward we get as coaches and it allows us to see how we have prepared them and learn our gaps ”
The coach came away from the scrimmage with a strong sense of how good the firstteam defense will perform .
“ There are some guys we have that can really go and they are excited to play defense ,” he said . “ I think we can put some pressure on the quarterback .
“ Excited to see our defense go and then how our offense can complement that .”
Taking a page from college football , three of the four regular season home games at Spartan Stadium will kick off at 1 p . m ., including the home opener on Saturday , Sept . 14 against Minneapolis Edison .
The high school program will honor Richfield ’ s youngest football players with Youth Day . Richfield welcomes the Austin Packers for Homecoming , set for a 1 p . m . kickoff on Saturday , Oct . 5 . Senior Night will wrap up the regular season against Milaca on Wednesday , Oct . 16 . Kickoff is set for 7 p . m .
QUICK HITS
Head Coach
Kris Pulford Eighth season
Last Year ’ s Record : 4-5
FOOTBALL PREVIEW 202�
Key Returning Players
The Spartans have a number of returners back including senior linemen Brody Johnson , Spencer Lewis , Fernando Perez and Brody Johnson and junior lineman Spencer Flanery .
Senior Derrick Brown and sophomore Dre Collins return as two-way receivers / defensive backs .
Seniors Joey Noonan and Martez Winfield will join Lewis in the backfield . Noonan and Winfield will also see time at linebacker / defensive back .
Schedule
All start times 1 p . m . unless noted Aug . 29 at Minneapolis Camden 6 p . m . Sept . 6 at Holy Angels 7 p . m . Sept . 14 vs . Edison Sept . 21 vs . Roosevelt Sept . 28 vs . Johnson Oct . 5 vs . Austin Oct . 11 at Como Park 6 p . m . Oct . 16 vs . Milaca 7 p . m .